International Journal of Accounting & Finance in Asia Pasific
Vol 9, No 1 (2026): February 2026

From Savings to Consumption: How Financial Literacy Influences College Students' Use of Electronic Wallets and Budgeting Behaviors

Kok Ban Teoh (Universiti Sains Malaysia, Jalan Sg Dua, 11800 Minden, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia)
Boon Keong Teow (ViTrox College, 14110 Batu Kawan, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia)
Dwi Nita Aryani (STIE Malangkucecwara, Jln. Terusan Candi Kalasan, Malang, Indonesia)
Zhihan Liu (Universiti Sains Malaysia, Jalan Sg Dua, 11800 Minden, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia)
Yushuo Liu (Universiti Sains Malaysia, Jalan Sg Dua, 11800 Minden, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia)
Yifei Long (Universiti Sains Malaysia, Jalan Sg Dua, 11800 Minden, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia)
Jiahui Long (Universiti Sains Malaysia, Jalan Sg Dua, 11800 Minden, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia)
Rizkyvania Betarishanti Budiani (STIE Malangkucecwara, Jln. Terusan Candi Kalasan, Malang, Indonesia)
Daisy Mui Hung Kee (Universiti Sains Malaysia, Jalan Sg Dua, 11800 Minden, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia)



Article Info

Publish Date
20 Feb 2026

Abstract

As mobile payments become increasingly prevalent in Asia, university students widely use electronic wallets for daily transactions, raising concerns about their financial management behavior. This study examines the effect of financial literacy on spending behavior, saving habits, and budgeting and e-wallet usage among university students. Data were collected from 150 respondents through an online survey. The findings indicate that financial literacy is negatively and significantly associated with spending behavior (r = –0.170, p 0.05) and positively associated with saving habits (r = 0.192, p 0.05). However, the relationship between financial literacy and budgeting and e-wallet usage is positive but not statistically significant (r = 0.116, p 0.05). Regression results show that financial literacy significantly reduces spending behavior (? = –0.159, p = 0.050), while its influence on budgeting behavior and e-wallet feature utilization is not significant. The model explains 6.7 percent of the variance (R² = 0.067). These findings suggest that financial literacy plays a protective role in controlling spending, but additional factors influence digital financial behavior.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

IJAFAP

Publisher

Subject

Decision Sciences, Operations Research & Management Economics, Econometrics & Finance

Description

IJAFAP aims to feature narrative, theoretical, and empirical-based research articles within the abovementioned fields. The journal welcomes articles relating to the current issues of financial decision making as well as its impact on society. IJAFAP carries out the mission to feature narrative, ...